Apparatus for installing piling



F/G. 5 yH6. 4

OCt- 8, 1968 c. B. HOPPE 3,404,740

APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING FILING Filed Feb. l, 196 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 8, 1968 C. B. HOPPE 3,404,740

APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING PILlNG l Filed Feb. l, 196 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VII'A INVENTOR. Z5/favs /fa/Pf' United States Patent C) 3,404,740 APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING PILING Clemens B. Hoppe, Box 590, Palm Beach, Fla. 33480 Filed Feb. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 524,029 8 Claims. (Cl. 173-111) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for installing tubular piles or cylindrical casings'where hard layers of soil are encountered in installing piling and sand drain Work. Rotator mechanism is combined with a pile hammer whereby the drilling .tool is advanced into the |hard layer by the combination of the downward force of the pile hammer ram and the simultaneous rotation of the drilling tool.

It is customary to install piling where it is desired to erect a heavy structure such as a building on soft gr-ound, the piling extending through the layer of soft ground to firm ground. Sand drains are installed to rm up or stabilize areas having `soils of low shear strength and high water content so that they will support highways, and airport and other facilities. Sand drains consist of columns of sand extending from the surface of the ground to the firm ground and they are placed sufficiently close together to absorb water from the surrounding soft soil. Enough of the water content, in the course of time, finds its way through the sand columns to the surface of the ground an-d is drained away, so that the supporting strength of fthe soft ground is materially increased.

When installing either the piling or sand drains tubular piles or cylindrical casings are sunk or driven through the upper soil to reach the firm ground. When installing lpiling, the casings are filled with `a concrete mixture and the casings are either left in place or withdrawn during the filling operation. When installing sand drains, after the casing has `been sunk to the desired depth, sand is fed into the casing and the casing simultaneously withdrawn so as to leave a column of sand.

The sinking or driving of the casings or hollow piles presents a considerable problem, particularly when, as Often occurs, after penetrating soft soil, it is necessary to drive the casing through a hard layer, and usually more soft soil, before reaching firm ground, or where, when installing piles, the layer of ground through which the piles must pass possesses considerable resistance to the advance of the pile.

My present invention is intended for facilitating such installations, and in accordance therewith a reciprocating pile hammer of conventional `form is employed, with the ram member of which an impact rotator mechanism of special construction is associated. Such rotator mechanism includes a driving member which is secured to the ram and a driven member arranged to reciprocate within the driving member. The tubular pile or casing which desirably has drilling teeth, or a drilling bi-t, at its lower end is connected at its upper end to such driven member. The driving and driven members of the impact rotator mechanism are interconnected by means of screw threads having a very steep pitch. At the commencement of the downward stroke of the ram, the driven member of the rotator mechanism is extended from the driving member, and becauseof the steeply pitched thread-s interconnecting them, the downward stroke of the ram not only applies a downward force to the driven member but ,also causes the driven member to rotate. Consequently, the pile casing or Idrilling tool is advanced in the soil both by the downward force of the ram and by means of the rotation which takes place simultaneously with the application of such force.

The driving and driven members of the impact rotator l i 3,404,740 Patented Oct. 8, 1968 mechanism are not connected directly together through the steeply pitched threads, but are interconnected through a driving ring or collar which has internal projections to engage the external steeply pitched threads on the driven member and which is mounted for free rotation in one direction on t-he lower portion of the driving member, but is prevented from rotating in the opposite direction by means of a cooperating ratchet and pawl mechanism. The arrangement is such that on the upstroke of .the hammer ram and driving member of the rotator mechanism, the driving ring or collar rotates freely, the pawl, or pawls, riding over the ratchet teeth. On the downward stroke, however, the pawl, or pawls, engage the ratchet teeth and hence the internal projections on the driving collar engaging the steep threads on the driven mem-ber cause it to rotate.

The driven member of the rotator mechanism includes a socket for receiving the upper end portion of the tubular pile or casing, and the lower end of such tubular socket is provided with a plurality of open-ended recesses. Lugs are secured by welding or otherwise to the outside surface of the casing in position to be received within these recesses. Latch members are pivoted on the outer suryface of the socket of the driven member which are adapted to engage the lower ends of such lugs thereby retaining and lreleasably securing the casing within the socket member.

The pile hammer with its attached impact rotator mechanism is supported and controlled by a suitable crane, usually of the crawler or caterpillar type, and equipped Iwith a long slender guiding structure or device which is attached to the crane boom. Such guiding device or structure is often referred to as a leads inasmuch as it includes guideways along which the pile hammer is arranged to slide as it is raised or lowered by the hoist-line of the crane.

The invention will be further understood from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and the detailed description following.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a vertical section of earth and a side elevation of a crawler crane with its guiding device or leads lin upright position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of a portion of the crane leads 'with the pile hammer and impact rotator mechanism and having the upper portion of a tubular pile or casing member mounted therein;

FIG. 3 shows a similar vertical section of the crane leads with the casing installed and also showing the cleaning out of the spoil or earth within the casing;

FIG. 4 is -a similar diagrammatic view of the crane leads looking from the left of FIG. 1 and showing the filling of the casing with sand;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with the nearly 'withdrawn from the ground;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view drawn to an enlarged scale showing partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, the construction of the impact lrotator mechanism;

FIG. 6A is a detailed View of the lower end of the casing shown in FIG. 6 and illustrating a modified form of drill bit;

FIG. 7 is a view in horizontal section taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 7A is a similar section taken on line 7A-7A of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 7B is a view in horizontal section taken on line 7B-7B of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a View partly in elevation and partly in section showing certain parts of the mechanism of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8A is ya view in central vertical section of the casing parts shown in FlG. 6 and including an additional palrt for-ming a modication, and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view in vertical section, of a modied form of pile hammer.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a crawler crane 10 having a boom 11 to which at its upper end a guiding structure or device 12 is pivoted. This guiding structure, referred to hereafter as a leads, consists of a pair of spaced vertical guideway or rails 13 which are supported by a suitable steel-work frame structure consisting essentially of vertical side members 14, spaced, horizontal pieces 15 and angular stays 16. The pile hammer and connected impact rotator mechanism assembly indicated generally the numeral 17, is constructed to slide between the vertical guideways or rails 13.

This assembly is raised or lowered by means of the hoist line 18 of crane 10 and which is trained over a sheave or pulley 19 xed at the top of the leads 12. As shown in FIG. 2, hoist line 18 is connected to the pile hammer assembly 17. At other times, the pile hammer is held in position in leads 12 by any suitable means (not shown) and the end of hoist line 18 is connected to a sand skip or hopper 20 as shown in FIG. 1, to control this hopper in a manner to be described.

FIG. 1 shows the crawler crane 10 resting on the surface of a section 21 of relatively soft ground. Tubular piles or casings 22 are shown as having been installed in a manner to be described, and at the right are shown two sand drains 231.

The pile hammer comprises an operating cylinder 24 (FIG. 2) having a piston 25, therein and a piston rod 26 to the lower end of which a massive hammer ram 27 is fixed. It will be understood that uid pressure connections (not shown) are made to both the upper and lower portions of cylinder 24, through which air, steam, or hydraulic fluid is supplied from a suitable source of fluid pressure and under the control of a suitable valve, neither of which is illustrated. In other words, cylinder 24 is double-acting and the supply of pressure fluid is controlled by the operator of the crane 10 by means of a conventional control valve (not shown).

Connected to the lower end of ram 27 is the impact rotator mechanism 29. This comprises a driving member 30 (FIG. 6) in the form of a cylinder closed at its upper end, and a driven member 31 the interior of which constitutes a socket member for receiving the upper end portion 32 of a tubular pile or casing 33, or other drilling tool.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 8, the driven member 31 of the impact rotator mechanism 29 is provided substantially from end to end with projecting square threads 34 which have a steep pitch and which are also of considerable width so that as the driven member reciprocates or telescopes within the driving member 30, the cylindrical surfaces of these threads may slide smoothly in contact with a guiding ring 35 positioned internally at the lower end of driving member 30 (FIG. 6). The upper end of driven member 31 is guided by means of an annular piston section 36 which slides on the interior cylindrical surface of the driving member.

Positioned within the lower end of driving member 30 and held therein by guiding ring 35, there is a driving ring or collar member 37 which is arranged to rotate freely between member 35 and a shoulder 38 on the driving member. Driving ring 37 has a series of ratchet teeth 39 (FIG. 7) which extend around its periphery. Cooperating with these ratchet teeth and on opposite sides of driving member 30 two pawl members 40 are arranged, these pawls being urged into contact with the ratchet teeth by means of compression coil springs 41.

Driving ring 37 has two inward projections 42 (FIGS. 7 and 8) which t between the sides of threads 34 on the driven member 31. FIG. 6. shows driven member 3-1 fully telescoped within driving member 30, or in other words, the driving member is at the bottom of its stroke. When 4 driving member 30 is raised during the upstroke of piston 25 and ram 27, the engagement of the projections 42 with the stationary steeply pitched threads 34 cause ring 37 to rotate more or less rapidly, the pawl members 40 sliding and clicking over the ratchet teeth 39. When the top of the upstroke is reached, however, and thefdownstroke commences, pawls 4t) engage the ratchet teeth and lock the driving ring 37 to the driving member 30. Hence the downward movement of the driving member causes the projections 42 on driving ring 37 by engagement with the steeply pitched threads 34 to cause rotation of the driven member 31, and with it, the tubular pile or easing 33.

Where the soil in which pile or casing 33 is being sunk is extremely soft and has a very high water content, as occurs sometimes in installing sand drains, there is insufficient friction between the soft soil and the casing to prevent reverse rotation of the casing during the upward stroke of the pile hammer by the frictional engagement of pawls 40 with the sloping surfaces of ratchet teeth 39. To prevent such reverse rotation of casing 33, a second set of ratchet teeth 43 (FIGS. 6 and 7B), and cooperating pawls 44 are arranged at the botton of assembly 17. The member or disc carrying ratchet teeth 43 is suitably secured to casing 33, and pawls 43 are mounted in the lower portion of the frame of assembly 17.

It will be understood that in order to prevent the upper inside surface 45 of the driving member 30 from striking the upper end of piston section 36 at each downstroke of the pile hammer, a space 46 is arranged between these two surfaces so that the air therewithin will serve as a cushion. This space is provided with a vent cock 47 by means of which the extent of the cushioning elfect can be regulated. A cushion 46a of Micarta or other suitable material may be placed within space 46 to supplement the air cushion. The upper end of tubular pile or casing 33 is disposed at the top of the socket member or driven member 31 so that the downward force transmitted by the air cushion or the mechanical cushion 46a or both, is applied directly to the upper end of driven member 31 and thence to the top of the tubular pile or casing 33.

In order to removably connect the tubular pile or casing 33 with the driven member 31 of the rotator mechanism, the upper end portion, some three feet in length, of the casing is received within the cylindrical opening or interior of the driven member 31, the upper end of the casing being in contact with the upper end of this cylindrical chamber, which constitutes the socket for receiving the casing. In the lower end of driven member 31 which may be referred to as a socket portion, a plurality, advantageously 4, open-ended recesses 48 are provided. These are arranged in pairs at right angles to one another and with the recesses of each pair diametrically opposite.

To cooperate with these recesses projecting lugs 49 (FIGS. 3 and 5) are welded, or otherwise secured, to the outside surface of casing 33. Casing 33 is held in position by means of two latches 50 which are pivoted at 51 at their upper ends to the outside of the driven member 31 directly above two of the diametrically opposite lugs 49 (FIG. 6). When swung downwardly and inwardly latches '50 engage the lower ends of the two lugs 49 and hold the parts in connected relation.

Because of the presence of lugs 49 on casing 33 the disc which contains ratchet teeth 43 is detachably mounted on the casing. For this reason such disc and its hub (FIG. 6) may be made in halves as shown in FIG. 7B, with the halves of the hub anged and bolted together.

As shown in FIG. 6, the lower end of tubular pile or casing 33 is provided with cutting teeth 52 which project radially outward so as to cut a hole slightly larger than the diameter of the casing and thus facilitate the forward movement of the casing.

In FIG. 6A a modified Vform of casing 33u which is closed at its end is provided with a somewhat different drilling face 52a. Such drilling face is shown in the form of a diamond drilling bit, although other forms of bit may be employed such as,'for example, the Hughes type.

In the operation of the apparatus as described, the leads 12 are set down by the crane over the location where the pile or the sand drain is to be placed, and the hoist line 18 is operated to lower the pile hammer and impact rotator assembly 17 with its connected tubular pile or casing 33 until the casing enters the ground. Depending upon the characteristics of the soil, -the casing will be forced into the ground by the weight of assembly 17 alone, or with the assistance of the pile hammer. During each downstroke of piston 25 and ram 27 the driven member 31 of the impact rotator mechanism and the casing 33 will be forced downwardly both by the force supplied by the fluid pressure on piston 25 and by the simultaneous rotation of casing 33 caused by the rotator mechanism.

Should a hard layer of earth be encountered which cannot be penetrated in this manner, assembly 17 can be removed from the hoist line 18, and the device 17a shown in FIG. 9 attached in its place. Device 17a is similar to assembly 17 except that the impact rotator mechanism has been eliminated, and ram member 27a is provided with a socket member 53 which is somewhat similar in construction to the socket portion of driven member 31. Socket member 53 is lowered onto the upper end portion of tubular pile or casing 33 and thus quickly connected directly to the ram of the pile hammer, that is, to ram member 27a.

Having made this substitution, the tubular casing 33 is now driven downwardly through the hard stratum by direct blows of ram 27a of the pile hammer. After the casing 33 has passed through the hard formation, assembly 17a is removed from the upper end of casing 33 and the assembly 17, including the pile hammer and the impact rotator mechanism, is reconnected to the casing, and the downward driving of the casing through soft soil is continued.

In some instances, the driving of the tubular pile or casing can be assisted by the use of a water jet pipe 54 which is connected at its upper end to a suitable source of water under pressure, and the jet pipe is lowered by a cable line on the frame alongside of casing 33 as shown in FIG. 2.

When the casing has been driven to the desired depth, the contents of the casing, referred to as spoil, are removed by means of a jet pipe 55 shown in FIG. 3 which is connected at its upper end to a source of water under pressure, and the jet discharge from the lower end of the pipe near -the bottom of the casing causes an uptlow of the spoil until the casing is cleared. Thereupon, if a cement pile is to be installed, a concrete mixture is filled into the upper end of the casing of FIG. 3, and during this operation, the casing itself may, if desired, be raised and removed for re-use.

Where a sand drain is to be installed, sand is introduced into casing 33 as shown in FIG. 4, the sand skip or hopper 20 being manipulated by means of hoist cable 18 to deliver the sand into the upper end of the casing. During this operation, the casing will be raised as shown in FIG. 5. These operations will continue until a column of sand 56 extends to the surface of the ground.

The impact rotator mechanism previously described serves to rotate the tubular pile or casing only on the downward stroke of the pile hammer. A modified form of the rotator mechanism may be employed in which the casing is rotated on the upward stroke of the pile hammer as well as on the downward stroke. This is accomplished by providing a second set of steeply pitched square threads such as threads 34 but of the opposite hand. These threads have not been illustrated in the drawings because of the confusion in illustration which would result by adding oppositely rotating threads to FIGS. 6 and 8.

However, FIGS. 7A and 8A show the required additional driving ring and ratchet mechanism. FIG. 8A shows lower driving ring 37 and its ratchet teeth 39 at the toA 6 bottom, and above this ring, a second driving ring 37a having ratchet teeth 39a. FIG. 7A shows that ratchet teeth 39a face in the opposite direction from teeth 39 shown in FIG. 7. Also, pawls 40a of FIG. 7A face in the opposite direction from pawls 40 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 8A also shows in cross section the two sets of threads. Thus, the inward projections 42 of driving ring 37 engage the threads 34 shown in FIG. 8 whereas the projections 42a of driving ring 37a engage the second set of threads which are .of opposite hand.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for installing piling, a pile hammer including an operating cylinder, a piston therein and a ram connected to the piston, a crane supporting vertical guideways for the pile hammer and a hoist line for raising and lowering the pile hammer along the guideways, the combination therewith which comprises a rotator mechanism for connecting a drilling tool to the pile hammer, said rotator mechanism having a driving member rigidly secured to the ram, a driven member arranged to reciprocate within the driving member and having the drilling tool connected thereto, screw threads having a steep pitch interconnecting the driving and driven members so that during the downward stroke of the ram, the driven member and drilling tool are rotated, and means for preventing rotation of the driven member on the upward stroke of the driving member, whereby the drilling tool is advanced only by the downward force of the ram and the simultaneous rotation of the tool.

2. Apparatus for installing piling as set forth in claim 1 wherein the driven member of the rotator mechanism includes a socket member having a cylindrical chamber therein which is closed at its inner end, the drilling tool having a cylindrical end portion to be received within the socket member with the inner end of the tool in contact with the closed inner end of the socket chamber, the socket member having at its lower end a plurality of openended recesses, and the drilling tool having corresponding lugs secured t-o the outer surface thereof arranged to be received in these recesses, and means for retaining the lugs in such recesses.

3. Apparatus for installing piling as set forth in claim 2 wherein means for retaining the lugs in the recesses of the socket member comprises at least one pair of latch members which are pivoted respectively above a pair of the recesses and each having a lower latch portion constructed to engage the lower surface of one of the lugs to thereby lock the drilling tool within the socket member.

4. Apparatus for installing piling as set forth in claim 1 wherein the screw threads project from the surface of the driven member, and wherein a driving ring is arranged for free rotation near the lower end of the driving member, the -driving ring having inward projections for engaging the screw threads, the driving ring also having a series of driving ratchet teeth extending circumferentially thereof, and at least one spring-pressed pawl mounted on the driving member for engaging the ratchet teeth.

5. Apparatus for installing piling as set forth in claim 4 wherein the means for preventing rotation of the driven member on the upward stroke of the driving member includes a second ratchet and pawl mechanism arranged t0 interconnect the drilling tool and pile hammer, the teeth of the second ratchet mechanism facing in a direction opposite to the teeth of the first mentioned ratchet teeth.

6. Apparatus for installing piling as set forth in claim 4 wherein a frame is provided for supporting the pile hammer in sliding engagement with the crane guideways, and wherein the means for preventing rotation of the driven member on the upward stroke of the driving member includes a disc carrying ratchet teeth which face in the opposite direction from the teeth of the driving ratchet, such disc being detachably mounted on the drilling tool below the driven member of the rotator mechanism, and at least one pawl mounted on said frame in spring-pressed relation to the ratchet teeth carried by said disc.

7. Apparatus for installing piling as set forth in claim 4 wherein left-hand and right-hand screw threads of the same pitch project from the surface of the driven member, and wherein two driving rings are arranged for free rotation near the lower end of the driving member, each of the driving rings having inward projections engaging respectively the right-hand and left-hand screw threads, the two driving rings also having each a series of ratchet teeth extending circumferentially thereof, the teeth on one of the rings facing in one direction and those on the second ring facing in the opposite direction, and springpressed pawl means mounted on the driving member for engaging the ratchet teeth of each of the driving rings whereby the drilling tool is rotated during both the downward and upward strokes of the pile hammer.

8. In apparatus for installing piling, a pile hammer including an operating cylinder, a piston therein, and a ram connected to the piston, a crane supporting vertical guideways for the pile hammer and a hoist line for raising and lowering the pilc hammer along said guideways, and means for releasably connecting the upper end of a drilling tool to the pile hammer ram comprising a socket member on the hammer ram for receiving the upper end portion of the tool, the lower end portion of the socket mem- 8 ber having circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending recesses therein, the tool having circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending exterior projections spaced from its upper end and arranged to be received in the recesses, and a plurality of latch members pivoted on the exterior of the socket member above and in longitudinal alignment with certain of the recesses thereinrandconstructed to engage the lower edges of the projections on the drilling tool to retain the tool in operative connection with the hammer ram.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 609,478 8/1898 Sturgis 279-35 739,440 9/1903 Oldham 173-111 1,569,763 1/1926 Litter 173-132 X 1,773,366 8/1930 Lear 173-111 2,398,231 4/1946 Kott 173-111 X 2,684,839 7/1954 Rice 173-132 X 3,053,329 9/1962 Fairchild 173-112 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,011,340 4/1952 France.

DAVID H. BROWN, Primary Examiner. 

